Whittier fatal shooting investigation underway

A 45-year-old man was shot and killed in front of his home in an unincorporated area near Whittier. Police believe the motive for the shooting may be gang related.

The incident occurred in the 6100 block of Pioneer Boulevard around 10 p.m. Sunday.

Authorities said Arturo Roque was in the front yard of his residence with his wife and another couple when a white-colored sedan drove past his home and began shooting, striking him.

"He was dozing off like he was falling asleep, and I told him to stay awake," Borja, Roque's neighbor said, describing the last moments he spent with his good friend while trying to save his life. "When I ran out across the street, he was laying in his walkway."

Roque was transported to a local hospital with multiple gunshot wounds but succumbed to his injuries.

The others in the front yard were not injured.

Pioneer Boulevard was shut down from Holbrook Street to Whittier Boulevard following the fatal drive-by shooting. Shell casings and evidence markers littered the road. Bullet holes were scattered all over the property.

Although the victim is not a gang member, it is believed the shooting was gang related.

"He's a good man, he's always working around the neighborhood, always cutting trees and mowing lawns, really quiet from what I've seen," Frank Canales of Whittier said.

That makes this murder all the more difficult for Borja to comprehend.

"Innocent people who have nothing to do with this issue with gangs are the ones who suffer," said Borja. "If you guys can't solve your differences man to man or the old-fashioned way, that's just cowardly."

Anyone with information about this incident was urged to contact the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.